1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an information processing apparatus employing a pointing device, such as a mouse, as an entry device, and an information processing method employing such pointing device, such as a mouse, as an entry device.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent information processing apparatuses, a pointing device, such as a mouse, is occasionally employed as an entry device.
In such information processing apparatuses, a cursor position in a picture displayed on a display is shifted depending on coordinate data entered from a pointing device and represented by on X and Y coordinates. A command for executing the processing is then entered whilst the cursor is positioned on a particular object, after which pre-set processing defined on the object is executed.
Up to now, mice or trackballs have been widely employed as pointing devices. Such pointing devices include a ball and a detection unit for detecting the direction and the amount of rotation of the ball and coordinate data is outputted based on the direction and the amount of rotation of the ball.
Recently, a pointing device having a main body portion which is moved in a three-dimensional space for entering coordinate data, or a so-called air mouse, has been developed. This air mouse has a detection unit for detecting the acceleration of movement of the main body portion and coordinate data is outputted based on the detected acceleration.
Such air mouse has a merit that, since coordinate data can be entered on simply moving the main body portion in a three-dimensional space, a ball supporting surface, such as a desk surface, as is required in a mouse, is not required, and coordinate data can be entered in a completely contact-free manner with respect to another surface. An example of such a pointing device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,453,758. However, acceleration with this air mouse cannot be detected accurately with ease, the air mouse is not excellent at present in input precision. Therefore, it is difficult for the user to shift the cursor correctly to a desired position.
A wireless type pointing device also has come into use. When the wireless type pointing device is in use, coordinate data is transmitted from the pointing device to the main body portion of the information processing apparatus over a radio route and cursor movement on the display device occurs based on the transmitted coordinate data.
Such a wireless type pointing device is effective in particular if the user is at some distance from the screen of the display device since there is no space limitation imposed by a cable interconnecting the information processing apparatus and the pointing device. Therefore, it may be presumed that, as the use of the wireless type pointing device becomes popular, the chance of using a pointing device under a condition in which the user is at some distance from the screen of the display device is increased. However, if the user is at some distance from the screen of the display device, the pointing device becomes difficult to manipulate such that it becomes difficult for the user to shift the cursor correctly to a desired position.
As described above, a variety of pointing devices are used under various situations such that a problem has been presented wherein a cursor cannot be moved precisely to desired places without difficulties.